


Blinded By Light

by shslivalice



Category: Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Body Horror, Gen, M/M, not relationship focused
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:29:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29819448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shslivalice/pseuds/shslivalice
Summary: Materias' warriors discover a horrifying secret. It breaks the Warrior of Light.
Relationships: Bartz Klauser/Squall Leonhart, Prishe/Warrior of Light (Dissidia)
Kudos: 1





	Blinded By Light

The everlasting war, Materia and Spiritus had discussed, for after Shinryu fell - it was coming. But it did not sit well with everybody - no, a lot of those from Materias’ side had continued to move onwards. They had time, after all, before all would gather to make that energy to make the eternal dragon strike.

However, the current group of Warriors had made it to the edge of the world. Who knew why they were there - the group did not often grow this lost. Bartz, for his part, had told the group the wind was guiding them. Perhaps it was a way to clear their heads?

Or, well. The group stood, seeing the nothingness before them. Before the light hit the edge of the world, and they could see what filled beyond. Crystal, eternal crystal. It almost looked like the selfsame crystal as--

“Manikin,” Squall stated. Somebody had to. The sea of nothingness was covered in the same crystal that Manikin were made of. Was this where they came from? He felt Bartz suddenly hold his hand, and let out a soft sigh - before he felt a jolt though his body again. Right. He sometimes flickered, like some form of glitchy computer program, and had no idea why. He hadn’t been this way before arriving - or so he could remember. Bartz tried to step away from the edge a little, but Squall didn’t budge.

The group was filled with discussions, breaking up into groups. But it was Noctis who noticed something - and stood at the very edge, before taking a step out. And warp striking over to a crystalized tree, where there was an odd clump of crystal. Others stared, before following. It wasn’t the tree that caught his attention, but the odd clump. “It looks like people taking a nap.”

Noctis was right. There were arm-like parts wrapped around others, weapons frozen in crystal, faces worn away by eternity. Kneeling down, Cecil suddenly froze - his hands going to one part of the clump.

He knew this clump of crystal. Not only did he know it, he had forgotten he knew it before he saw the figure. His fingers dug into the crystal, touching the converted armour.

“Kain--” he muttered, before forcing himself to his feet. He had to find if there was anything to mark what happened. His cape swished around him, as he began to explore the death filled landscape. Cloud, too, had grown deathly quiet - before joining Cecil. Bartz looked over at them - and then to Squall, who had a horrified expression on his face. Tidus had moved to hold one of the clumps, beginning to quietly weep.

It was Ramza, however, who managed to find something. Frozen in the hand of one of these long-crystalized people, it was a simple list of names. However, he was afraid to pull it out. It looked so fragile... still. It was their hope.

Swiftly, he removed it.

“Everybody-- everybody, please listen!” Ramza said, and everybody except the three horrified people looked to him. “I think they wrote something. In-- it seems like Ivalician?” It was Old Ivalician, which Ramza was not familiar with, but the words seemed similar. He began to read out names, his voice shaky and unsure. And as he read the names, people began to realise.

These were former Warriors. Not only that, but they had died in this landscape - or perhaps caused it? The group had to look to those who had been there before.

Noctis half-raised a hand. “Um... I don’t get it.”

Cecil lowered his head. “As has been explained before, those of us in this war tend to go though cycles. If one runs out of energy, they are left behind - but this is different.”

“Because they’re still here?”

“Not just that.” Cecil said, his voice growing more and more afraid. “We forgot them. More then that, it seems they are trapped here - and they no longer exist, where we come from.”

Noctis took a step back. “Are you sure--?” Could it happen to them?

Cecil nodded. “It has been seventeen years since I have seen Kain. I met an evil doppelganger of him.”

Quietly, Squall had turned to Bartz. “One of them-- without him, I shouldn’t exist.” Before Bartz could ask how, Squall shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.” The sun continued to beam down on the frozen, worn-down Warriors. “...you idiot.” Squall didn’t even mind that Bartz was gripping his hand hard, trying to ground him. In fact, he appreciated it, though he wouldn’t dare say so.

Ramza had managed to decipher the names, and finally read them out again. And then, he looked up at everybody. “Does anybody know how this happened? Was it an accident, or--”

“--It was no accident.”

Everybody turned to the Warrior of Light, who now stood over them. The Warrior of Lights’ hands began to shake. His vision was blurred. These people had given their lives to save them all from the mindless Manikin, and as soon as they died, they were forgotten? Wiped from time itself? Was this all of their fates, if they were to end this war...?

“Kain. Tifa. Laguna. Yuna. Vaan. Lightning. Before the end of the original War of the Gods, they gave their lives to stop a maelstrom of Manikin. It was so that they could allow Cosmos’ side to finally end the cycles of conflict.

They thought they knew the price. But they did not.” Would they have done this with such? And yet, the Warrior of Light had noticed others frozen there. Including one he had forgotten for far too long. Seeing all of them here, stranded - his heart broke.

Ace raised a hand to place on his shoulder - to give the older Warrior comfort, but the Warrior of Light had already begun to walk away, not looking at the others. He had an idea, even if he knew it would paint him as evil. He would save them all. Perhaps it was because, once he remembered - once those names were burned into his mind - he remembered one he loved. Or perhaps it was because he was a hero. Who would know? None had the energy to follow, after seeing what they all had. Some were as horrified, some simply stared forward. Squall, in particular, almost seemed to relax. (He knew now. Why he glitched. He wasn’t meant to be.) Ramza shuddered as well, leaning against the others - those who were new soldiers, meant to rebuild this world, what did this mean for them?

Firion finally spoke up - calling to everybody. “...The Warrior of Light might have left us, but we need to stay together. I know Materia isn’t the most trustworthy, but she may be able to give us answers.” Somebody needed to lead them, and it seemed Firion had taken that spot. His lips trembled, and he felt blood dripping from his tongue. “And if not-- we will find a way to cure them. And spread the word of those who were forgotten to the trustworthy Warriors of Spiritus.”

But none of them moved. Not yet. Some still needed to mourn, and others needed to support them. Cloud, too, swore he saw another figure - not named in the six. Two, even. Him and Zidane shared the same glance, before looking away from each other. “This doesn’t add up,” Firion continued, “because World B was destroyed for a time. If that’s the case--”

“Maybe it survived?” Noctis replied, looking over what he saw. (Something about Lightning made his heart stir, made his heart beat fast, but he couldn’t explain it.) “I mean, the will of the old gods survived. And made these new ones?” He was trying to understand. He really was. Firion nodded quietly. “And these people survived that too. Because of that big... dragon thing... that we’re still meant to fight.”

“Will fighting it save them as well?” Ramza asked. None of them had that answer.

* * *

They were meant to be at the field, to fight their opposites. By this point, some of Spiritus’ warriors were getting impatient. (Some were just relaxing, however. The end of this fight meant going back to being dead. And others were just far too long-lived to worry about a few more days.) It was Ardyn who noticed the Warrior of Light - alone - walking past them, ignoring them. “Looks like we’re not out-numbered. What a pity, the gods will need some other pawns.” Oddly enough, the others didn’t pay him any mind - until they noticed the Warrior of Light as well, seeming to ignore them. Some did not move - it might be a trap.

But out of all of them, Garland moved the swiftest. “You.”

The Warrior of Light looked back at him for a moment, before continuing onwards. “We will fight later. You will understand my point of view later.”

They didn’t tend to say much to each other. But Garland did not wish to be dismissed - charging, and swinging at him. But the Warrior of Light simply dodged. Magic sparked at his fingers, as he then cast a spell Garland had seen before. If only rarely, for the Warrior of Light often tried to strike back.

Blink. Or Ruse, as he called it. He truly was trying to cut though them - and he was succeeding! By the time that others had realised he was really there, it was too late. A few casts of Blink, and none could track the Warrior of Light.

But where was he going? Garland still continued to follow, ready to attack when the spell faded. Even his bravado faded, however, when he saw that the Warrior of Light walked beyond the edge of the world on this side.

Before stabbing himself, letting his crystalized blood drip to the ground. “Shinryu!” he roared to the heavens. “I know my power is your favorite! Come, and I shall give it to you!”

A light filled the sky - everybody from every side could see it. From those who were interrogating Materia, to those who were training. None could move, for the power paralyzed.

Shinryu looked down at the Warrior of Light, ready to strike. Before the Warrior of Light met his gaze. “I have conditions. If you do not accept... I will end myself. That means you cannot feed on me.”

How much did the Warrior of Light remember? Thankfully, it seemed to be working. The dragon did not strike, but watched. “I want those who were forgotten to be revived. I want the cycles to no longer steal lives. Those who cannot be revived in their original bodies - give them new bodies.”

Shinryu could not speak, but the Warrior of Light could feel something in his mind. Visions. He would have to give more then his power. He would have to become Shinryus’ puppet. And Shinryu would need more food, more life energy. The Warrior of Light hesitated, for a moment. He knew he would be seen as evil for what he had to do...

...but he had decided. Honestly, he was stubborn... but he was also fighting for something his heart desires. “I will do anything.”

A light cocooned him, and the Warrior of Light passed out.

* * *

When the Warrior of Light woke up, he was still beyond the edge of the world. A sandstorm had begun, covering the corpse-filled landscape with a thin layer of dust. His armour had been stripped, but his wound was gone - replaced with what almost looked like scales. In the back of his mind, the Warrior of Light could feel Shinryus’ energy pulsing. He had done it. He had restored them - or so he thought. What he didn’t know was that those who he revived - those who fell in the twelth cycle - could not be brought back properly. Their souls had corrupted, and the only way they could be brought back was for Shinryu to bring in memories and aspects from other timelines.

And, of course, Shinryu was a cruel god. Shinryu would not gift them their true memories, but would find what could cause them suffering. At the time, however, the Warrior of Light did not know the depths of horror he had inflicted.

Instead, he suddenly heard a voice, and felt a shadow loom over him. “Weird place to take a nap, but can I join you?” The voice ripped though his core, and reminded him of why he did this.

Prishe flopped down next to him, head to head. The two could just rest for a little, silently. Later, they would know what had gone wrong. But for a moment, both of them could be... happy.

**Author's Note:**

> happy 012 day have all of them suffering. :3c all the fics in this verse have a song-based title, so. i'll add it to the verse later.  
> (yes this is canon to my ff14 au fic.)


End file.
